Implementation cost of the Israeli green building code in office buildings

Abstract

Despite the sharp increase in interest and awareness, the implementation level of the Israeli green building code in Israel is still very low. Two of the substantial implementation barriers are the cost and benefit uncertainties associated with green building design in caparison to conventional construction methods . This research aimed to bridge this gap by offering a reliable estimations of the costs and direct economic benefits of green office building designs in Israel, with the focus on the office buildings sector.This research relied on a cost comparison between a conventional base case and a office building case study, defined according to the basic level local green building code (IS 5281). Results showed increased investment costs of between 1.1% - 1.3% in the green office building in comparison to a conventional building, as well as 47% electricity savings and ROI of 4 years.